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My Coast Guard
Commentary | March 27, 2023

Skip the lines – renew your dependent’s ID card online 

Coast Guard members and their families can renew their Uniformed Service ID Cards (USID) online and receive by mail as part of a new pilot program.  

Sponsors must use their Common Access Card (CAC) to access the ID Card Office Online (IDCO) to request the cards which will be processed and mailed by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), not local ID offices.  

Since the new cards will be mailed, sponsors should keep in mind that if the family member needs a card immediately or it’s about to expire, you should plan accordingly. If you need a card immediately, then you should schedule an appointment at a Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) Facility.  

Sponsors and dependents must meet the following criteria to take advantage of the program, according to the Department of Defense Fact sheet:  

  • The service member sponsor must be an active-duty CAC holder, with an active status extending 30 days past the renewal request date; 
  • The dependent ID cards to be renewed must be active – in other words, not yet expired; 
  • The dependent ID cards must be expiring within 90 days; 
  • Has an active email address in DEERS that the card recipient has authorized DOD to use for communications (Check your email address authorization under “My Profile” at the IDCO website, under “Email Addresses”)  
  • The card holder must have a photo saved in DEERS that's been taken within the past 12 years. 
  • The card holder's address in DEERS must be in the continental U.S., Alaska or Hawaii, and it may not be a P.O. box. 

The renewal process is fairly straightforward and outlined in detail in the fact sheet:  

  1. Sponsors must login using their CAC and submit requests via ID Card Office Online clicking the “Family ID Cards” tab from the landing page. 
  2. Once the request is successfully processed, the card will be created and mailed to the card recipient via U.S. mail.  
  3. An email will be sent to the sponsor and card recipient once the card is shipped directing the sponsor to acknowledge they have received the card.  
  4. Once the sponsor acknowledges they have the card, the new USID card will be activated and the prior card will be terminated. The prior card should then be returned to the government by either dropping it off at the local ID card office of by mail to: DMDC; DSC Attn: USID Card Returns; 2102 E 21st Street N. Wichita, KS 67214.  
  5. If the renewal request is not approved or fails, the card recipient will receive an email. Depending on the reason for the failure the sponsor will be instructed to submit a new request in IDCO or to visit a RAPIDS site for issuance of the card. 

The pilot program began Feb. 24, and is set to run through Sept. 30, 2024.  

For more complete information on the program visit:  

Please email your questions about DoD ID Card and Benefits Policy.

References:  

feature news ID Cards CAC Common Access Card